Boulter lost the next two points but then won three in a row to become the first British player through to the second round.

She said: “I think it’s actually very tough, because you’ve just released and you think you’ve won the match, to get back to work and find a way. I thought I did that really well and I’m pretty proud of myself for digging deep.”

This was a match that showed how far Boulter has come over the last year, climbing 100 spots in the rankings and beginning to establish herself as a genuine threat to higher-ranked opponents.

The 22-year-old, who came through three matches of qualifying for the first time at a slam, said: “It was always going to be a difficult match, especially on such a big court. She’s got a lot more experience than me but I came through qualifying so that’s something to be positive about.”

Sharapova was typically matter of fact when asked whether she felt for Dart, saying: “There is no time for that, I’m sorry to say.”

The unwanted record of first player out of the tournament actually fell to Watson, whose disappointing form continued with a 6-1 6-2 loss to 31st seed Petra Martic.

The 26-year-old has found herself stuck in the tennis doldrums and admitted she was so tense on court that she felt faint and dizzy and had to call the doctor.

Watson said: “I haven’t been like myself on court lately. I’ve got to change something. I’m not going to continue like this.”